JAPANESE

MYTHOLO
GY
 P R E S E N TAT I O N
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O U T L I N E 02
CONCEPT HISTORY
of Japanese Mythology
of Japanese Mythology

03 04
MYTHICAL CREATURES GODS AND GODDESSES
in Japanese Mythology in Japanese Mythology
WHAT IS JAPANESE
MYTHOLOGY?
 Body of stories compiled from oral traditions (legends, gods,
ceremonies, customs, practices, and historical accounts) of Japanese
people.
 “Kami” as holy powerful gods.
 Associates with forces of nature, geographical features, and spirits of
venerated dead.
 A combinations of Shinto and Buddhist tradition.
 Passed down from generation through both spoken and writing.

CONCEPT OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

SHINTO
 Comes from the word “shen” (god/spirit) and “dao” (way).
 A way of life most concerned with rituals, community
beliefs and moral codes.
 The way of the gods.

MUSUBI
 Creative energy of the universe.
 To unite everything.

CONCEPT OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

JAPANESE MYTHS
 Are recorded in Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nohon
Shoki (Chronicles of Japan).
 Tells the origin of the ruling class.
 Not pure myths but have political colouring.
 Basically connected to two (2) main traditions:
a. Yamato Cycle – centered around the sun goddess, Amaterasy a
Omikami.
b. Izumo Cycle – centered around the principal character Susanoo
a no Mikoto (brother of Amaterasu).

CONCEPT OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

COMMON THEMES
 Deity
 Royalty
 Nature

CONCEPT OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

HISTORY OF
JAPANESE
MYTHOLOG
 The mythology of Japan has a long history dating back
more than 2,000 years.
 It emerged in the islands of the Japanese Archipelago.
 According to Shinto religion, before, everything was just a
limitless formless mass. Out of this, something light and
transparent rose up and formed the plain of high heaven.
 The three divine beings called the Three Creating Deities
were formed:
1. The Spirit Master of the Center of Heaven
2. The August Wondrously Producing Spirit
3. The Divine Wondrously Producing Ancestor

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 The heavy and opaque materials from the formless mass
began to gather together.
 In the earliest stages, for millions of years, earth is said to
have resembled oil floating upon the face of the waters. A
reed sprouted and a divine couple was born.
 Several more were born in this way, and the last pair, the
eighth pair, was Izanagi and Izanami.
 The Heavenly deities commanded Izanagi and Izanami, to
descend to the nebulous earth to solidify earth together.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 With a jeweled spear called Ama-no-Nuboko, the two
travelled to the Floating Bridge of Heaven, which lay
between the heaven and earth.
 Looking down at the sea from filmy fog that is floating,
Izanagi dipped the spear into the waters and stirred. When
drawing it up, great drops which fell from the spear to the
surface of Earth, created an island.
 Delighted, the two descended to the island and constructed
a great Heavenly August Pillar, and a great place called the
Hall of Eight Fathoms for their wedding.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 The two agreed to meet on the other side of the pillar, each
walking in the other direction: the male deity to the left,
and the female deity to the right.
 When they met each other on the other side, Izanami, the
female deity, speaking first, exclaimed: “How delightful it
is to meet so handsome youth!” To which Izanagi, the
male deity, replied: “How delightful I am to have fallen in
with such a lovely maiden!” And the two consummated
their marriage.
 Their first born was a leech child: weak and boneless. The
couple, placed it on a reed boat and abandoned it in the
waters.
 Their second was a floating island, which they also did not
accept their own.
HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY
 The two deities were disappointed in their failures and
returned to Heaven.
 Turns out that the reason for their difficulties was because the
woman shouldn’t have spoken first when they met at the other
side of the pillar.
 The two returned to earth, went around the pillar once more,
and this time, Izanagi, the male deity, spoke first.
 They gave birth to the eight main islands of Japan and six
minor islands.
 They then gave birth to a variety of deities to inhabit those
islands, including the sea deity, the deity of the sea-straits, and
the deities of the rivers, winds, trees, and mountains.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 Last, Izanami gave birth to the fire deity which caused her
death.
 In her agony, more gods were born from her vomit, urine, and
feces.
 Izanagi mourned over Izanami’s death, and from his tears,
another deity was born. Because of his anger, he beheaded his
son, the fire deity, responsible for her death.
 From the blood on his sword and the corpse of the slain son, a
number of deities arose as well.
 Longing for his deceased wife, Izanagi looked for Izanami, at
the land of Yomi, the underworld.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 She replied that it was too late.
 However, she would go ask the gods of the underworld to leave.
And she asked Izanagi to do one thing, which was to not look at
her as she did this.
 After she left, Izanagi eventually grew impatient, and decided to
go look for her.
 He broke off the end of a comb in his hair and set it on fire for a
light. When he found her, he was shocked to find his once
beautiful wife to be a rotting corpse, being consumed by maggots.
 Ashamed to be seen in this condition, she chased Izanagi out of the
underworld, sending the eight deities of thunder, which were born
from her body, after him, and then pursued him herself.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 As he reached for a huge rock to close the passage to the
underworld, she shouted in anger “If you behave in this
way, I will strangle and kill one thousand men of your land
in one day!”
 Izanagi replied: “If you do this, I will in one day set up
1,500 parturition houses. So in one day indeed 1,000 men
will die and indeed 1,500 are going to be born.”
 Izanagi returned home and bathed himself to remove
himself of all the uncleanliness through a purification
ceremony by the river. As he stripped his clothing, 12
deities were born from the robes and accessories.
 More deities arose as he cleansed himself of the impurities
of Yomi, shaking off the curse, and washing his body.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 In last step of the purification ceremony, Izanagi washed
his left eye, from which Amaterasu Omikami was born;
from his right eye Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto was born; and
from his nose, Takehayasusanoo-no-mikoto was born.
 The three gods are called the “Three Precious Children:
gods of the Sun, the Moon, and the Seas.”
 It was Amaterasu, whose name means “shining in heaven,”
who sent Japan’s first ruler from the heavens to Japan, so
the Emperors of Japan are considered divine and direct
descendants of Amaterasu.

HISTORY OF JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

ODS AND GODDESSES IN
JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY
 IZANAMI AND IZANAGI
The Primordial Japanese Gods of
Creation

 The Shinto Japanese myth features

the primordial gods Izanagi and
Izanami, just like most creation
stories do.
 They are divine beings who gave
order to the sea of chaos beneath
heaven.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  A turbulent ocean is claimed to have been stirred up by the Japanese
gods Izanagi and Izanami, who also gave rise to the island of Onogoro,
to create the mainland of Japan. Sadly, during the difficult process of
creation, Izanami perished from the burning anguish of giving birth to
Kagutsuchi, the Japanese fire deity, and was as a result consigned to the
underworld.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  The grieving Izanagi followed his sister to the afterlife in this famous
Japanese tale, and he even persuaded the gods of the older generation to
let her come back to the world of the living. He looks at the sister's
'undead' condition too soon, which was more like to a rotting corpse. He
was driven out of the underworld by a horde of enraged thunder kami
tied to this body, and he narrowly avoided Yomi by blocking the
entrance with a massive stone.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  After performing a cleansing ritual, Izanagi unintentionally gave birth to
even more Japanese deities, known as the Mihashira-no-uzunomiko.
These deities include Amaterasu, the sun goddess who was born from
washing his left eye, Tsuki-yomi, the moon god who was born from
washing his right eye, and Susanoo, the storm god who was born from
his nose. As a result, in Shinto culture, harai, or purification, plays a
significant role in the ritual before visiting the holy shrine

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 YEBISU
The Japanese God of Luck and
Fishermen

 Hiruko ( also known as the “Leach

Child”) was supposedly the first
child born to the primordial couple
Izanagi and Izanami.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Some stories later linked Hiruko to the Japanese god Yebisu, a god of
fisherman and good fortune, who may have existed in the Middle Ages.
In that way, his deformed status may have been altered to match his
divine ancestry among the Japanese kami, which is very native.
 Yebisu (or Hiruko), who was born without bones, was allegedly
abandoned at sea when she was three years old. Despite this unethical
ordeal, the child nonetheless got to reach Ebisu Saburo by chance. The
young child eventually became known as Ebisu or Yebisu after
overcoming numerous challenges.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Yebisu is considered one of the primary deities of the Seven Gods of
Fortune (Shichifukujin) As for depictions, Yebisu maintains his jovial
mood (often called the 'laughing god') and wears a tall, pointed cap
folded in the middle called kazaori eboshi.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 KAGUTSUCHI
The Japanese God of Destructive Fire

 Kagutsuchi (also known as

Homusubi, which means "he who
starts fire"), the fire deity of Japan,
is another son of the primordial
Izanagi and Izanami. His fire spirit
tragically burned his own mother,
causing her to pass away and enter
the underworld.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Kagutsuchi was revered as the ancestor of numerous strong deities
who even inspired the development of iron and weaponry in Japan
(possibly mirroring the foreign influence in different armaments of
Japan).
 As a deity of fire, Kagutsuchi was understandably seen as a
(possible) destroyer of Japanese constructions, which are
frequently composed of wood and other combustible materials. To
sum up, in Shinto religion, he is the subject of various ceremonies
aimed at appeasing him, one of which is the Ho-shizume-no-
matsuri ceremony, an imperial tradition intended to fend off
Kagutsuchi's negative effects for a period of six months.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 AMATERASU
The Japanese Goddess of Rising Sun

 As the goddess of the sun and the

head of the kami realm, Amaterasu
or Amaterasu Omikami is revered.
Her name means "the splendid kami
who lights from heaven." Her
epithet alludes to her position as the
head of the gods, with direct
parental authority.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Another popular myth pertains to how Amaterasu locked herself in
a cave after having a violent altercation with Susanoo, the storm
god. Her bright glow, which epitomized the effulgent sun, was
unfortunately concealed, shrouding the regions in darkness. She
wasn't persuaded to leave her cave until after a string of amusing
distractions and pranks.
 The fabled ancestor of the Japanese Imperial family is Ninigi-no-
Mikoto, a grandson of Amaterasu who was given the opportunity to
rule Earth by his grandmother. Amaterasu (or her comparable
divinity) had long been significant in historical matters, but the
Meiji Restoration increased her significance.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 TSUKUYOMI
The Japanese Goddess of the Moon

 In Japanese Shinto, the Moon deity

is a guy who goes by the name
Tsukuyomi no Mikoto. He is a
Mihashira-no-uzunomiko, a creature
created by washing Izanagi's right
eye. According to some tales, he was
created from a white copper mirror
that Izanagi held in his right hand.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  In ancient Japanese mythology, Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon,
married Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. The union allowed for
the union of both the sun and the moon in the same sky.
 However, the marriage was soon destroyed when Tsukiyomi killed
the food goddess Uke Mochi. The moon deity supposedly
committed the wicked act out of disgust after seeing Uke Mochi
spew out numerous foods. In reaction, Amaterasu split up with
Tsukiyomi by going to a different area of the sky, fully separating
day from night.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 SUSANOO
The Japanese Goddess of Seas and
Storms

 Izanagi, the ancestor of all

Japanese gods, gave birth to
Susanoo from his nose. He was
seen as an erratic, messy kami
who was prone to irrational mood
swings. Many of his shrines are
found near the seaside, where his
power is said to have spread to the
winds and waves there.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  According to legend, Susanoo drank all the heads of the evil
dragon Yamata-no-Orochi before cutting off its heads. Following
the incident, he was able to reclaim the famous Kusanagi- no-
Tsurugi sword and win the woman's hand whom he had rescued
from the dragon.
 On the other hand, Susanoo is also portrayed in a somewhat
negative light (thus reflecting the storm god's chaotic nature),
especially when it comes to his rivalry with Amaterasu. On one
occasion, their challenge to each other turned bitter, with the
wrathful Susanoo going on a rampage.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 RAIJIN AND FUJIN
The Japanese Gods of Weather

 Regarded as the strong kami of nature's

elements who can either be
sympathetic toward or antagonistic
toward the suffering of humanity.
 Raijin is the deity of thunder and
lightning who unleashes his tempests
by wielding his hammer and beating of
drums.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Raijin is depicted with three fingers—each representing the PAST,
PRESENT, and FUTURE.
 Fujin is the fearsome monstrous kami of the winds. He carries his
fair share of gales and gusts in a bag on his shoulders.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 ARNE-NO-UZUME
The Japanese Goddess of Dawn and
Dancing

 The jovial female deity of the

dawn, also espoused the
spontaneity of nature.
 Patron goddess of creativity,
performing arts, and dancing.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 HACHIMAN
The Japanese God of War and Archery

 Hachiman also known as Yahata no

Kami embodies the early medieval
Japanese cultures of Shinto and
Buddhism.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  He is respected as the god of war, archery, culture, and even
divination, the deity possibly evolved with the establishment of
various Buddhist shrines in the country after circa 9th century AD.
 He is regarded as a Japanese Buddhist deity who serves as the
faithful protector of various shrines around Japan.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 INARI
The Japanese God of Agriculture (Rice),
Commerce, and Swords

 The most revered kami in the Shinto

pantheon.
 As the deity of the rice field, Inari is
associated with the prosperity, agriculture,
and an abundance of foo.
 Inari was also revered as the patron deity of
merchants, tradesmen, entertainers, and even
swordsmiths.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 KANNON
The Japanese God of Mercy and
Compassion
 Serves as one of the most important
Buddhist deities of Japan.
 Kannon is worshipped as a Bodhisattva
and is known as the god of compassion,
mercy, and even animals.
 Like certain other Japanese gods,
Kannon has gender differences in the
context of religion and mythology,
which enhances their characteristics and
connections.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 JIZO
The Japanese Guardian God of Travellers and
Children

 Known as the protector of the children, the

weak, and the travelers.
 In the mythical narrative, Jizo was charged
with the grave responsibility of easing the
suffering of the lost souls in hell and
directing them back to the western paradise
of Amida.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

MYTHICAL CREATURES
JAPANESE MYTHOLOG
 TANUKI
The Most Mischievous Japanese Mythical
Creature
 The first, and possibly one of the most
widely known youkai (supernatural
being), is the raccoon dog, also known
as Tanuki in Japanese folklore. Although
tanuki are real animals found in the
Japanese wild, they have inspired many
legends and folktales in Japanese
mythology about the so-called Bake-
danuki (lit. monster raccoons).

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Bake-danuki are powerful, mischievous creatures with a cheerful,
jovial personality. They are not inherently evil, but they love using
their strong shape-shifting and possessing powers to prank travelers
and steal their money – for no other reason than to have fun.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 KITSUNE
The Divine Mythical Creatures
 Kitsune, or mythical foxes, are yet
another famous youkai in Japanese
mythology. They are known to be
magical, highly intelligent Japanese
mythical creatures that possess many
powerful magical and spiritual abilities,
including shapeshifting, far-seeing, high
intelligence, and longer lifespans. 

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

   In Japanese folklore, kitsune can be a symbol of both good and
evil and were thought to grow a new tail for every 100 years they
lived on this earth. The most powerful kitsune were the nine-tailed
foxes, said to have acquired infinite knowledge and the power to
see everything that is, was, or will be.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 KAPPA
The Unique Inhabitants of Lakes and Rivers
 Kappa is such a youkai, considered to be a
Suijin (lit. Water God). Kappa is a humanoid
Japanese mythical creature with some
features resembling amphibians and reptiles.
They tend to look different from a Kappa to
another; some have adult bodies or child
bodies, with skin colored in various shades of
green. Their skin might be slimy or covered
in scales, and their arms and legs webbed
between the toes and fingers.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Kappa are not necessarily friendly, and might play harmless pranks
on travelers, or much worse: they are known to lure humans
(especially children) into their rivers to drown them. They are
especially fond of Sumo, a traditional Japanese sport, and may
challenge these travelers to a match. Beware, however; they are
also especially good at it.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 TENGU
The Mysterious Red-Faced Youkai
 Tengu is another Japanese supernatural
being that appears in many shapes and
forms throughout history. The first Tengu
depictions showed them as monsters with
crow-like features such as kite-like black
wings, bird heads, and beaks. Later on,
newer depictions show Tengu as long-
nosed creatures with red faces.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  At first, Tengu were considered mischievous Japanese mythical
creatures but not inherently evil or particularly dangerous, as they
were quite easy to avoid or defeat. Many legends speak of Tengu
as bringers of war and destruction, but they were also known as
protective deities and spirits of mountains and forests over time.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 SHIKIGAMI
The Dark Side of Japanese Mythology
 Traditionally, Shikigami were
considered to be servants of Onmyoji,
members of Japanese society thought to
possess and use divine magical powers.
These Shikigami were born through a
complex conjuring ritual made by an
Onmyoji and they only served one
purpose: to fulfill the master’s wishes. 

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  More often than not, the orders of an Onmyoji were less than
favorable (such as spying on someone, stealing, or even murder).
Because of that, the scariest part of these legends around Shikigami
was not the creatures themselves but the terrible things that humans
were capable of once they were in charge of these devoted
servants.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

 TSUKUMOGAMI
The Most Unique Japanese Mythical
Creature
 Tsukumogami are traditionally
considered to be tools or everyday
household items that have acquired a
kami (or spirit) of their own, after living
for at least a hundred years. Although
generally considered harmless, there are
instances of Tsukumogami becoming
vengeful towards the people who may
have mistreated them or abandoned them
throughout their lives.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

  Among these Tsukumogami there are a few that are the most
famous in Japanese mythology. The first ones are Kasa-obake (lit.
monster umbrellas), monsters represented as one-legged umbrellas
with one eye and sometimes arms and a long tongue. It is not clear
what the purpose of these Kasa-obake was in Japanese folklore, but
many illustrations of them have been found throughout the years.

GODS AND GODDESSES IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

どうもありがとう
DOMO ARIGATOU
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
人を信じよ、しかし、その百倍も自らを信じよ
BELIEVE IN PEOPLE, BUT BELIEVE IN
YOURSELF A HUNDRED TIMES MORE.